In many cases, people prefer to have a chair with a back portion which adequately supports their back. This is particularly so in the case of people who have back injuries or suffer from congential back problems. In order that the back be adequately supported, it is important that the back portion of the chair should follow the contours of the individual's back. In particular, it is desirable that the back portion should follow the vertical contour of the individual's back and preferably also the horizontal contours. This necessitates the manufacture of a special chair for each individual. These chairs are normally referred to as orthopaedic chairs. To manufacture such chairs, it is necessary to determine the contour of the individual's back, and this is most easily carried out using what is generally known as a measuring chair.